“You find this funny?”
Finally giving in, I sat forward, leant over the table and looked into her face. She didn’t back down, but her back shook where she resisted the urge to shoot away from me.
“I’m sorry, okay? It had to be done.”
When she stared at me, I swallowed. Her eyes, so dark, yet so full of emotion. Something I had managed to forget. But, now, sitting in front of her, my chest resounded with the heavy beat of my heart. A heart that had suddenly decided to warm up.
“You…I hate you. I trusted you to be my mentor. To help me become the best Viking warrior. Instead, you left. Leaving me alone with a pervert and a psychotic witch.”
Taking a deep breath, she looked away from me, staring at the wall. Reaching forward, I took her chin in my hand, swearing when heat almost burnt my skin. Chloe’s gasp let me know that she had felt it too.
“What…?” she muttered.
I didn’t let go. Instead, I held her chin steady so that she had to look at me. “I said, I’m sorry. Can’t you see? I did it because those I try to save…they end up dead.”
Knocking my hand away, Chloe leant forward. Our foreheads almost touched, but I didn’t back down. I couldn’t, even though I desperately wanted to. If I gave in and sat back, she would win. I wouldn’t let that happen.
“You cannot blame Senior’s death on yourself. That was circumstance. It had to happen.” Her breath hit my face.
My teeth gritted together as I forced myself to stay still, even though the touch of the air that expelled from her mouth made my skin tingle.
“Had to happen? I should have killed Devon the moment the Crawler jumped into her.”
Shaking her head roughly, Chloe almost shouted. “No!”
I cringed as her hair flicked into my eyes, the scent of it filling my nose. Strawberry. Trust Freya’s descendant to use a fruit flavoured shampoo on her hair. That, and the unicorn top, was obviously in defiance to losing herself completely. It was good that she kept a part of her old personality. No matter who she had grown into since meeting me.
Opening my mouth, I was about to speak when her hand came up and stopped me. Covering my lips with her fingers, she froze as our gaze clashed again.
“You told me about your past. Ever since your family died, you’ve believed that every single person who dies, does so because of you. It’s not true, Trygger, you’re not responsible for the death of every human or underworld creature.”
Tears hovered on the lids of her eyes, drawing an emotion from me so foreign, I didn’t know what it was. Her chest rose and fell as she studied my face, almost drinking me in.
Lacing my fingers around her forearm, I ripped her hand away from my mouth, moved my head forward and placed my lips straight over hers.
Our breath intermingled as we sat still, our lips locked but not moving. My heart pounded in my head, in my chest, everywhere, when her hand wound into my ponytail and our lips started to move against each other. I pushed down the urge to plunge my tongue into her mouth, it was too much, too soon, but the feel of her skin on mine, her breath on my face, her lips…
Letting go of her, I sat back. Her eyes were wide, staring, unblinking. Our chests were rising in unison as we fought to get our breath.
“I’m…”
“No, don’t apologise. If you say sorry, it indicates that you didn’t mean it, but you did. I could feel it.”
Sitting back in my chair, I ran a hand over my forehead. I had just kissed Chloe. What the fuck was I playing at?
“I don’t know why I did that.”
A small smile crossed her lips before she touched them gently, making my whole body stiffen. Wow, such a simple gesture could do a lot to a man. Even a man who hadn’t acted intentionally. I didn’t feel that way about Chloe. Did I?
“Okay, we need to forget that happened for a moment,” Chloe said, shaking herself. “Did Jack find you?”
Trying my hardest to get out of my betrayer of a heart, I turned my thoughts back to our reality. I had just overstepped the mark, changing our relationship. What a fucking idiot.
“Yes,” I replied, managing to push what just happened out of my head. “He said that you’ve done this on purpose to find…”
I didn’t elaborate. There was no doubt in my mind that the Czech underworld police were listening to our conversation. Not that there had been much interesting talk so far.
“Exactly. So, you need to go home until I’ve…”
“You are kidding?” I sat forward again, her preposterous suggestion making me antsy.
What was she up to? Did she not realise that facing the Fallen One herself would not help anyone?
Leaning back in her chair to get away from my irritated energy, Chloe stared at me. “No, I’m not. I have a plan, which you don’t need to know about.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I flinched when one of my daggers dug into my side. The police had let me stride into a room with their prisoner without taking, or checking, for weapons.
“Chloe, this is a trap. I’m not going anywhere for the moment.”
Her frown intensified when the door opened, allowing access to two policemen. One was the guard who had let me in, the other a man in a suit.
“I’m afraid your friend…Troy, is right. It’s time for your test.”
The suited man held up the device that checked to see whether we were human or not. I smiled, got to my feet, and then almost crippled over when inflamed heat enveloped my body. Ah, yes, the Fallen One. No one else could make it feel like my insides were on fire. Thor’s power went crazy in my body as I sat back in my chair.
Luckily, the others were concentrating on Chloe, ready to give her the test.
“Okay, stand up,” one of them said.
Closing my eyes for a second, I pulled on Thor’s power enough to calm it down. I had to have a clear head and the raging heat wasn’t helping that.
If the Fallen One was in the building that meant it must be Frederik Jensen. Shit, and I didn’t have my sword to hunt for him, either.
“This will only take a second.”
Chloe jumped to her feet, ready to face the pair. Moving swiftly, I whipped my dagger out of my pocket, spun away from the table and grabbed the guard. Wrapping my arm around his chest from behind, I held the blade to his throat.
“No one move,” I said, my voice low and calm.
The man in my arms shook uncontrollably as the other held his hands up in surrender. The device clattered to the ground. Chloe snatched it up, before looking at me.
“We need to get out of here,” I said, stepping sideways towards the door.
Chloe did the same, grasping my arm when we got nearer to the exit. “You don’t need to hurt him.”
“Yes, I do.” Both of the men had stayed quiet until then.
“Wait, you won’t get away with this,” the suited man said.
The one I held hostage groaned as I dragged him backwards. If he tried to fight, I would slit his throat open.
Pulsing heat still blazed inside my chest, but I ignored it as best I could. If I could get back to my place, get my sword and come back, I would be able to face the Fallen One.
“We need his hand.”
The mouth I had just kissed dropped open at my suggestion. Chloe’s mess of blonde hair shook sideways as she refused to do what I was implying.
Huffing, I stared at her. “If we take him with us, he’ll speak. Let’s get his hand and lock them in here.”
The shuddering of the man intensified at my words. Yes, I was being extreme, but I wanted to get out of the police station now. Without one of their handprints for the entrance into the jail, we would never get out.
“You don’t think we have CCTV cameras in this building? You will be stopped well before you’re able to leave.” The man in the suit jumped to his friend’s defence.
“Then you’ll help us,” Chloe said, cutting off my reply. “You’ll lead us out of here as if you’re taking us somewhere else.
You will then guide us to a room that has a window we can get out of without anyone interrupting.”
I had taught the woman well. Her plan would probably work better than my hacking off the guard’s hand to use it to get out of the jail block. Although, it was still a tempting thought.
“I don’t think so,” he started. “Okay, okay, I’ll do it.” He changed his mind when I pressed my dagger further into the skin on the guard’s neck.
“Please, don’t hurt us.” The man finally spoke, his voice rattling.
Chloe tucked the device into the inside of her jacket. Going over to the other man, she glared into his face. “If you fail to do as I ask, you will die, do you understand?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he nodded. “Yes, I will do as you ask.”
I could see the defiance in his eyes. Being told what to do by a woman, especially one wearing a unicorn top, wasn’t pleasing to him at all. Yet, he told the truth when he said he would do it. He wanted to live more than he wanted to defeat us.
“Come on then.” Chloe gestured with her head for him to go first.
Shoving the guard back into the room, I raised my eyebrows at him as he turned to face me. Backing up, he showed no sign of attack. Slamming the door shut as we exited, I allowed the man to live.
“Do this quickly and easily. Don’t stop to talk to anyone. Lead us to the nearest empty room with a window.”
Nodding, the man didn’t reply. He knew our plan. If he didn’t stick to it, I would kill him. Or, maybe Chloe would blast him with her magic. She was the one in control right this moment. It made a weird, but quite nice, change.
“Stand back,” the man said as we approached the jail block door. “They’ll ask me where I’m taking you.”
Keeping our distance, we did as he said. Placing his hand on the palm reader, he waited for the door to buzz open.
“Where are you taking the prisoners?” a voiceover asked.
The man looked into a tiny camera and smiled. “Frederik asked me to bring them to him.”
A whirling sound echoed before the door swung open. Frederik must be a very important and powerful man in the city of Prague.
“Hello,” someone greeted as we stepped into the corridor.
The young lady quickly skipped past, going into a room nearby. The man in the suit nodded but didn’t say anything. My heart steadied as the flames licked at it. I was glad Chloe had taken the reins with our escape. It helped me to try and stem the power that wanted to find, and kill, the Fallen One.
“Here,” the man said, ducking through one of the doors.
We were led straight into an empty office. Maybe it was his. My gaze went straight to the blacked out window that lined the far wall, hiding the darkness of the night outside.
“There is one problem,” he said, backing away towards his desk. “They don’t open.”
Chloe scoffed, her face bright, even though he had failed to mention that fact earlier. Growling in my throat, I approached him, my dagger aimed.
“Trygger, it’s not a problem.”
I paused at her words.
The man’s eyes widened when Chloe approached the window and touched the glass. Her hand went straight through and out the other side. Ah, the woman had been practicing.
“How did you…?” The man’s mouth gaped open.
Pushing him to sit in the chair, I searched the area for something to tie him up with. A small cupboard beside the desk revealed a whole row of ties. Handy.
“You will stay here until someone finds you.” He went to open his mouth to scream, but I shoved a rolled up tie into it.
“I don’t think so.”
Tying his hands and legs to the chair, I looked over my shoulder and grinned at Chloe when the man tried to free himself to no avail.
“I should kill him so he can’t tell others what happened.”
Shaking her head, Chloe came over. “No need. When we left the guard back in the cell, I wiped his memory of us. I’m going to do the same to him.”
The man’s eyes widened, yet again, as Chloe walked nearer. She had the power to wipe people’s memory now? Since when?
Waving her hand, Chloe sent the man to sleep. His head dropped forward, his eyes flickering closed.
“You…” I couldn’t find the words to say as she bounded back to the window and winked at me.
“I know, I’m fucking amazing. Come on, let’s get out of here.”
Going over, I resisted the urge to hug her to me. She had finally become the warrior I knew she could be. All she needed…was time away from me. A sting filtered through all the heat in my chest as I straightened my face, ready to leave the building.
If I hadn’t been the one to make her into a Viking warrior, did that mean I was a useless teacher?
“Go on,” Chloe whispered as she put her hand through the glass and held it there.
Swallowing, I reached forward, gasping when my own fingers went straight through. Bloody hell. Chloe was one powerful being.
“Wait. The Fallen One is here.”
Nudging me with her free hand, she indicated the glass. “We’ll get him another time. You know, when there aren’t a hundred police officers and…you have your sword.”
She was right. It would be foolish to try and get through the station to find Frederik. We had to plan another way to reach him.
“Go on, Trygger, I’m not sure how long I can hold this for.”
Taking note of her shaking arm, I pulled myself onto the window ledge as if there were no glass there at all. Jumping over, I landed on the grass below, happy to feel the spring under my feet. Looking up, I almost ducked when Chloe’s arse came tumbling towards me.
Opening my arms, I caught her just before she smacked into my head. She gasped as the air knocked out of her lungs. Her arms came around my neck as she looked into my eyes.
Shit, sharing that kiss has given her the complete wrong idea. Dropping her feet to the ground, I helped her steady herself. She quickly pulled away when she noticed my distance. I couldn’t let her think that what had happened meant anything. Certainly not until I had worked out why the hell I had done it.
“Let’s go,” I said, moving before she could respond. “I’ve got a Fallen One to kill.”
Chapter 13
The Professor
“Trygger, this is David Morris,” Jack introduced me to the professor.
The older man stood forward, offering his hand. Taking it, I stared into his eyes. The look of awe covered his face, which irritated me.
Jack had rung to say he was at David’s house. So, naturally, I had decided that it was time to meet the mysterious man.
“If I had known that you were the Thunder Hunter, I would have met with you long ago. I just assumed you were a fan. Sorry.”
I waved away the apology. If the man had fans for his work, his behaviour was perfectly acceptable. Being in a situation where I never interacted with people, I understood.
“It’s been a long night, would you like to rest?”
Lowering myself into one of his brown leather armchairs, I faced him. “No, I want to ask you how you know so much about me.”
Jack took my relaxing as a sign that he could loosen up too. Sitting in the seat next to me, he patted the arm for Chloe to join him from where she hovered by the French windows. Surprisingly, she moved to sit down.
Rusty came over to me and nudged my hand for a stroke. The poor boy hadn’t seen any action or a fight in a long time, apparently. Maybe I would take him with me to defeat the next Fallen One.
“Straight to the point, I see,” the professor said, laughing heartily.
Crossing his legs, he sat back in his chair and linked his fingers over his rotund belly. The man was a typical English gentleman. Growing old, he had let himself go, probably drank far too much alcohol and smoked a pipe.
“Let me make one thing clear. I can read a liar, a fool and a thief from a very long way away. So, please, don’t hold back on my account. It is my l
ife you’ve been writing about, after all.”
I had read the professor’s books since being in Prague. The accuracy of accounts had startled me, I had to admit. Yet, he was obviously getting the information from somewhere. The man wasn’t me, and I certainly hadn’t written down what had happened in my life.
“You might not believe me, but I don’t know where I get the ideas from. I wake up from sleep with stories in my head. I believed them to be just that…stories. Until a young girl from America emailed me.”
“Serenity,” Jack said, knocking the professor out of his daze.
The man had spoken as if he wasn’t really in the room with us. His eyes grew vacant, almost as if it was someone else speaking.
“Yes, Serenity. She wrote to me because she became obsessed with the books. I told her they were fiction, she believed they weren’t. It wasn’t until she told me her own tales of meeting you that I started to question where my stories came from. I don’t plan anything out, I just write. The story flows from me naturally.”
David certainly sounded like a writer who had no idea what he was writing. So, how had he managed to write my life so accurately? Surely, he must have been fed the… Freya.
Her cool wind moved around me while the others carried on talking. Looking over towards the hallway entrance, I spotted her bright light.
“Please, excuse me.” Slowly getting up, I went out into the hall.
There she stood, the beautiful goddess. Her signature golden dress floated around her. The fake wind blew her hair into soft waves. She really was a breath-taking sight.
“I was wondering when you’d show up,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.
“It’s just a flying visit, warrior. You know who the Fallen One is, so you better hurry up and send him back to me.”
Cocking my head, I kept my expression straight as Freya stared at me. Her own expression was hard. Had something happened in the heavens?
“Don’t ask questions, but know that Odin is not the idle threat you believe him to be. Don’t waste time trying to work all this out. Just hurry up and get me the last three souls.”
Her light and beauty dispersed before I could say anymore. Ah, the goddess was afraid of the ruler of Asgard. So that meant Martin would be a threat if I let him. However, he wouldn’t find me. If Chloe and Jack struggled to find where I lived, Martin and his reward wouldn’t stand a chance.
Storm Guardian: Viking Soul Book 3 Page 13